Impact.

It’s a word that gets tossed around a lot in the business world, and in academia, too. But it’s the one I keep returning to as I contemplate a century of the David Eccles School of Business.

Since the first class of students entered what was then the School of Commerce and Finance in 1917, students who study business at the University of Utah have had an impact — on the community, on the economy and on the world.

Some of the brightest minds in business have passed through these halls. Names that have shaped the economy of what is consistently rated as the best state to do business. Professors who have made startling thought breakthroughs that have changed the foundations of how business is conducted. Institutes and centers that focus on solving some of the largest problems facing our world today. And now, with programs such as Eccles Global, students and professors are reaching across international boundaries to impact business communities around the world.

But I think the reason “impact” seems so apt to describe this anniversary is because I’ve experienced it myself. My professors had a profound impact on me as a student here at the Eccles School. They expanded the way I thought and truly helped me become a better person. I see the same thing happening now as our faculty challenge and support our current students, shaping entrepreneurs, doers and brilliant business minds who graduate ready to make a lasting impact on the world.

As we celebrate this monumental anniversary, I’d invite you to contemplate the impact the David Eccles School of Business has had on your life, your community and the world. Please share these memories and stories here.

To all of our alumni, faculty, staff, students, donors and families, a sincere thank you for 100 incredible years. We’re excited to celebrate with you throughout the year! And here’s to the next 100 years of impact.

Taylor Randall, Dean